Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Chicago Cubs
From 2014-17, Anthony Rizzo never finished with a batting average below .273 or a wRC+ worse than 133. He can be a bit of a streaky hitter, but it’s still weird to see his batting average below .200 and his wRC+ below 90 this late into the season.
Since becoming the Cubs’ every-day first baseman in 2013, Rizzo has also never seen his walk rate dip below 10.9% for a single season. It’s currently 7.7% despite a 24.6% chase rate that’s much lower than last year’s 30.4% mark.
A big problem for the 28-year-old is getting his bat going away from Wrigley Field. At the friendly confines, he owns a 152 wRC+ and a walk rate (12.5%) that’s outpacing his strikeout rate (9.4%) in 64 plate appearances. On the road, his wRC+ is just 28, which is accompanied by a 3.8% walk rate and 19.0% strikeout rate in 79 plate appearances.
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